Abstract:
In a recent release, GLOBAL MARKET FOR NANOCOMPOSITES, NANOPARTICLES, NANOCLAYS, and NANOTUBES (NAN021E) from BCC Research (www.bccresearch.com), the consumption of nanocomposites totaled nearly 138.4 thousand metric tons in 2011, and by 2016, consumption is projected to reach more than 333 thousand metric tons, yielding a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 19.2%.

The consumption of nanocomposites can also be viewed in terms of value. In 2011, consumption amounted to $920 million, and after increasing at a CAGR of 20.9%, should be nearly $2.4 billion in 2016.

Nanocomposites have been used commercially since Toyota introduced the first polymer/clay nanocomposite auto parts in the 1980s. Recently, advances in the ability to characterize, produce, and manipulate nanometer-scale materials have led to their increased use as fillers in new types of nanocomposites.

Nanocomposites are made from the same types of materials as other non-nanocomposites, but due to the nanoscale dimensions of the fillers used in nanocomposites, the interactions between filler and matrix are different from those found in a conventional composite. The altered filler-matrix interactions affect the physical properties of the nanocomposite in various ways. Physical properties that can be altered include tensile strength, heat dissipation, conductivity, color, and transparency.

This report is intended especially for nanocomposite and nanomaterials marketing executives, entrepreneurs, investors, venture capitalists, and other readers with a need to know the direction in which the nanocomposite market is headed in the next five years. Other readers who should find the report particularly useful include officials of government programs, such as the U.S. National Nanotechnology Initiative, that promote the development of the nanotechnology industry. The report's findings and conclusions also should be of interest to the broader nanotechnology community.

In addition to NAN021E, BCC also has published NAN052A, NAN053A, and NAN054A. These reports cover nanocomposite markets with focuses, respectively, on the U.S., Europe, and the Asia-Pacific region.